Advancement of cognitive-affective maps - a novel tool for uncovering ethical issues in climate engineering technologies

Abstract: This dissertation advances tools for Cognitive-Affective Maps (CAMs) and proposes methodologies to inform climate policy regarding Climate Engineering Technologies (CETs), resulting in two key contributions. The first contribution involves the development of versatile tools, including a data collection and data analysis tool, facilitating large-scale CAM studies. The second contribution proposes methodologies aimed at uncovering ethical and acceptance-related concerns regarding CETs through an innovative integration of qualitative and quantitative methods.
In the first manuscript the development of three interconnected tools for CAMs is presented, whereby CAMs are a research tool to identify and visually represent existing belief structures. The first tool, “Cognitive-Affective Map Extended Logic” (C.A.M.E.L.), is a highly adaptable data collection tool that allows the configuration of individual parameters for CAM studies. CAM-App, the second tool, facilitates pre-processing and analysis of CAM data through various modules. The third tool is an administrative panel designed for setting up CAM studies without the need for programming, offering real-time statistics. These tools collectively contribute to efficient data collection, data analysis, and enable new study designs for future CAM-based research.
In the second and third manuscripts, I proposed new methodologies designed to inform climate policy by integrating CAMs, surveys, and text data. The second manuscript introduced a two-step approach to comprehensively explore public perceptions of CETs, using Stratospheric Aerosol Injection (SAI) as a use case. CAMs were employed as a prestudy, allowing participants to visually express their cognitive-affective representations of SAI. Central concerns (e.g., the idea that SAI is tampering with nature) were integrated as scales in a subsequent large-scale survey, enabling a nuanced exploration of public attitudes and ethical considerations surrounding SAI.
Building on these results, we conducted a reanalysis in the third manuscript, focusing on central ethical arguments concerning SAI. Employing over 20 theoretically identified ethical arguments, we summarized data from CAMs, and textual responses to a general question about the morality of SAI. Participants expressed broad ethical concerns, encompassing governance-related and teleological arguments, and emphasized the potential moral acceptability of SAI in the context of a climate emergency, if an international consensus would be reached. Additionally, the analysis of our developed “Ethics Scale for Technology Assessment”, comprising of 50 questions, revealed participants’ limited differentiation between distinct ethical theories, suggesting a reliance on moral heuristics. The fourth theoretical manuscript underscores the need for an empirically informed ethics and describes the item generation process of the “Ethics Scale for Technology Assessment”. These findings highlight the importance of considering broad values, especially moral heuristics, of laypersons regarding emerging CETs.
In summary, the dissertation makes a valuable contribution to the ongoing development of CAMs and suggests innovative methodologies to enhance decision-making in climate policy for CETs

Object Details

• Location: Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Frankfurt am Main
• Extent: Online-Ressource
• Language: Englisch
• Notes: Universität Freiburg, Dissertation, 2024

Classification and Topics

• Keyword: Anthropogene Klimaänderung ; Akzeptanz

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (where): Freiburg
• (who): Universität
• (when): 2024
• Creator: Fenn, Julius
• Contributor: Kiesel, Andrea ; Kiesel, Andrea ; Krummenacher, Joseph ; Thomaschke, Roland ; Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg. Institut für Psychologie ; Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg. Wirtschafts- und Verhaltenswissenschaftliche Fakultät

Further information

• DOI: 10.6094/UNIFR/247289
• URN: urn:nbn:de:bsz:25-freidok-2472896
• Rights: Open Access; Der Zugriff auf das Objekt ist unbeschränkt möglich.
• Last update: 25.03.2025, 1:43 PM CET